


Lying to the Gullible

by JennyPin99



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anxiety, Asthmatic Peter Parker, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff and Angst, M/M, No abuse by Steve or Tony, Non-Consensual Spanking, Paddling, Peter is 5, Steve Rogers Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:35:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27354334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyPin99/pseuds/JennyPin99
Summary: Peter would meet with his test family in a week. He was too nervous. Both Flash and Brad were making it worse by chanting over and over again, “Peter is a loser. no one wants him.” When that became too wordy, they just chanted. “Undesirable,” they repeated it until Peter wanted to cry. Peter knew if he cried, Mr. Beck would punish him. So, instead, he sat there and let Flash and Brad continue. Peter just hoped that even if he was undesirable that at least one family would want him.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 105
Kudos: 240





	1. The New World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter edited: 2/6/21

Peter had lived at Midtown Care Center his whole life. Which wasn’t very long considering Peter was only five, but to Peter, it felt like five years too long. He hated Midtown Care Center and hated how he felt there.

The government well regulated most care centers. Each employee was usually very carefully selected, and very rarely did any care centers slip through the cracks.

Peter was unfortunate enough to belong to a care center that had fallen through the cracks. Adrian Toomes, the man who ran the care center, was a greedy man. Mr. Toomes was wealthy at the expense of the care center. Half of the funding that was supposed to go towards the care center was currently in his wallet and bank account.

Each care center got a check with enough funding to run a facility properly. Centers also got a small percentage of the income children sold for as a bonus. The government offered these bonuses to encourage centers to work harder to produce desirable children.

Mr. Toomes took a different approach. He didn’t want to spend the time teaching and nurturing children to be desirable. Instead of following the strict rule of only having 50 children in a facility, he upped it to 100 children. This change made it so the care center would receive double the bonuses, but this also made it, so everyone in the facility had to share a bed.

At the center, even though the number of children was increased the amount of staff was not. Each facility was supposed to have 25 staff members, but Midtown only had 19. Peter assumed it was hard for Mr. Toomes to find employees that were as corrupted as him.

Peter had to give Mr. Toomes some credit; he managed to find Quentin Beck. Peter thought Mr. Beck was even worse than Mr. Toomes. In usual care centers, a caregiver was assigned to two children at once. The caregivers’ job was to make sure that their assigned children’s needs were met. Caregivers were also responsible for teaching their children all the material they needed to know to be considered desirable.

Mr. Beck was Peter’s caregiver, but he was not assigned just two children; he was assigned five: Michelle, Ned, Flash, Brad, and Peter. Peter loved Michelle and Ned. But, he struggled to love or even like Brad and Flash. It was evident to Peter that both Brad and Flash would be considered undesirable. They both threw temper tantrums quite frequently. They both would never eat their vegetables, they were mean, aggressive, and neither did well in school.

Peter could not be too harsh on them. Peter tried to remember that they were both raised by Mr. Beck. Peter was raised by Mr. Beck too, but a small part of him could understand why Brad and Flash acted the way they did. Peter sometimes wanted to throw several temper tantrums too. Most of the time, all Peter wanted to do was cry. Mr. Beck was mean. That is why Peter was happy to hear that Mr. Beck was quitting.

This news would change nothing in Peter’s life because he was turning five soon and would be leaving the facility. Mainly, Peter was happy Mr. Beck would not be raising any more children. Peter knew if he was given that responsibility again, he would ruin five more lives.

Mr. Beck was quitting because of the hours. Caregivers were required to stay at the facility 24/7 and only could leave if they got a fill-in caregiver. Mr. Beck said he would be going back to his old marketing job because he wanted to have the time to raise his own child.

Peter couldn’t believe his ears. Why in the world would his caregiver be planning on adopting? An even more concerning question that Peter wondered about was how Mr. Beck had passed the evaluation? Peter didn't want to believe it. There was no way Mr. Beck passed the assessment. Peter made Mr. Beck show him the papers. Sure enough, Mr. Beck was not lying.

Peter was surprised at first, but then it clicked. Mr. Beck had always been good at pretending. Peter had always wondered why the government had never discovered Midtown's fraud. When a care center wasn’t following regulation, it was often caught within a year, at the longest.

Peter soon realized that Midtown was different because of Mr. Toomes. Both Mr. Toomes and Mr. Beck were good at pretending. Peter would sometimes watch Mr. Beck talk to visitors of the facility. He seemed so nice. Peter was shocked how Mr. Beck and Mr. Toomes could hide all the bad things with smiles and fancy words.

Everything was terrible at the facility. They were only given two meals a day, not three. Chairs, beds, and tables were broken. It was apparent the facility was not well maintained. The run-down facility was due to the lack of funding because of the staff and Mr. Toomes’ greed.

Mr. Beck was the worst thing about the center. It was apparent to Peter that he didn’t like kids, so Peter couldn’t understand why he wanted one. He did a big no, no. Mr. Beck would spank. Peter had heard that spankings were outlawed because it was proven ineffective and would often lead to problems for children in the future. Spankings hurt, and Peter could understand why they didn’t work. Spankings just made him more afraid of Mr. Beck. It didn't teach him anything. His caregiver also did another, no, no, he would yell. He yelled often, and sometimes it would hurt Peter’s ears. Mr. Beck would yell loudly and often get very close when he was doing it.

Mr. Beck would always tell Peter he was an undesirable. Peter knew he was right. He had asthma, a defect. No one ever wanted a child with a defect. Mr. Beck would always tell Peter how inconvenient his asthma was.

Peter was sure that if asthma was his only issue, he might be considered a desirable, but he knew he had more. Peter was at the top of his class, but he knew that Midtown was a horrible care center, and he was sure he wasn’t learning what he was supposed to.

Peter knew how to read, how to write his name, all the ABC’s. He could tie his shoes, and he could even choose and put on his own clothes. Michelle, who was the second smartest, couldn’t read very well, she could do everything else, but Peter had to help her read. Peter even knew how to count and some basic addition.

Peter was sure he was supposed to know more. Peter was sure he would fail the test to be a desirable. Mr. Beck also said he was hard to handle and didn’t have a good personality. Mr. Beck’s criticisms made Peter even more positive that he would fail with the test family.

Peter would meet with his test family in a week. He was too nervous. Both Flash and Brad were making it worse by chanting over and over again, “Peter is a loser. no one wants him.” When that became too wordy, they just chanted. “Undesirable,” they repeated it until Peter wanted to cry. Peter knew if he cried, Mr. Beck would punish him. So, instead, he sat there and let Flash and Brad continue. Peter just hoped that even if he was undesirable that at least one family would want him.

-

What happened to the world? How did things become so bad? Many would point to what happened 100 years ago. The world was consumed by pollution. Crops and animals were dying. Natural disasters happened daily. People were starving, and if they didn’t starve to death, they were killed by the terrorist who now seemed to rule the world.

Something had to be done to save what little of the world was left. Within the crumbling government of the United States, they started to make new laws. These laws were made in a last-ditch effort to save their people somehow. The American people were quick to accept any changes in hopes of a somewhat better life.

Laws that no one would have ever agreed to before were soon accepted. The United States government believed the most significant issue was overpopulation. They also felt the reason there were so many terrorists and genetic diseases throughout their population was due to the lack of regulation on who could have children. Many ill-prepared people had children, which led to child abuse and the spread of genetic diseases.

To deal with these issues, the United States government passed a law that would require every human being in the USA, by the age of 16 and older, to be sterilized. Only a select number would be chosen not to be sterilized.

A drug was soon produced to make sterilization possible. Taking one pill would kill all the eggs within a female's ovaries and stop all production of sperm within a male. Males would still be able to produce semen, but there would be no sperm within their semen.

The people chosen not to be sterilized would be well compensated. Participants selected for childbearing would make more money within the United States than any other job. At the time, the economy was disastrous. Several individuals applied to remain unsterilized and be selected to have children.

Many guidelines had to be met to be considered. The applicant could not have any signs of heart diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease, kidney diseases, and mental health issues anywhere within a family history. With the poor conditions of the world, this lowered the number of applicants considerably.

Also, the applicant could not have a criminal record, nor could anyone within their family. Many were angered by these announcements, arguing that no one could fit those requirements. But, the United States government succeeded. The government was able to find 2 million applicants that met their needs throughout the USA. 1.5 million females and 500,000 males.

Several fought being sterilized, but the government soon tracked everyone down. Either forcefully or willingly, everyone was made to swallow the pill. During this time, the United States government made several difficult and harmful choices. Another questionable decision made by the government was a law that the ones having the children would not be allowed to raise them.

The individual selected had only one job, and that was to make healthy children. The government would strictly regulate how many women would be pregnant throughout the year and how many children would be produced. Before this law, on average, 4 million babies were born each year within the U.S., after the law, it was lowered to 1.5 million babies each year.

Depending on the year, that number would lower. The cruel government wanted healthy, productive children to be produced to aid in the workforce. They decided to have a more productive society. They would kill any child that showed any defects. If a significant defect showed within the first year of life, that child would be killed. This law only was acceptable within the first year of the Child's life. Once the child reached the age of one, it was considered inhumane to kill them if a defect was detected.

At this time, the government also wanted to ensure that all children received the same early education. Before the chaos, many children only learned what their parents taught them through the ages of newborn to 5. Once the child reached the age of 5, they were placed in public school education run by the government.

The government feared this was when children were learning false ideas and destructive behaviors. It was decided that all children between the ages of newborn to 5 would be raised in the government’s care centers.

Each care center was only allowed the capacity of 50 children with a staff of 25 selected adults. Each adult had to go through rigorous training to be allowed to teach and nurture the children. The government-funded every care center, and each child was given their own bed and room with three meals a day.

Children would learn through the selected learning that would be changed and regulated by the government each year. A few weeks before a child's fifth birthday, they would go to a test family for two weeks. Their test family would then mark them as desirable or undesirable.

An undesirable child was a child who struggled to learn and would receive bad grades. These types of children struggled to be obedient and would rarely follow directions. They would often have a bad temper with issues of anger management. Other signs of an undesirable child were the characteristics of someone antisocial, aggressive, and someone who lacks empathy. Most of all, an undesirable child was considered to be a lot of work.

The government needed money to pay for the care centers and caregivers. To fund these expenses, each child came with a high price tag. Undesirable children were given lower price tags, and children marked as desirable were given higher price tags.

Lower-class families or middle-class families usually adopted the undesirables. In contrast, desirable children were adopted by higher class families. Despite this, all parents selected were amazing whether they were low, middle, or high class.

All families had to go through a long, thorough process to be allowed to adopt a child. Each family was limited to two children, but it was harder to be accepted for a second child than for a first.

Half of the couples who applied and went through evaluation were rejected. The government wanted to be positive that no child would be given to a wrong home with undeserving parents that were not prepared to raise a child.

That was why it was decided that if a child were given back after adoption, it was not the parents’ fault but the child's. The government decided that these children would not be given a second chance with another family but would be sent to farms located within the US. They would be trained to be workers at these farms, which is what they would be their whole lives.

People protested these new changes at first, but life was getting better. People couldn’t deny that it was working. Many countries soon began to follow the US. Due to the new system's significant effect on the world, it hasn’t been touched or modified within 100 years.


	2. Once a Liar, Always a Liar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short update, I just wanted to finally update this story. I have already started the next chapter and it will be much longer.

Quentin Beck hated children. They were gross, annoying, and stupid. He often wondered how he ended up being a caregiver. He could remember the time when he worked for a famous marketing firm.

Quentin had always been good at bribing people and fooling them into liking products. It was easy for him to develop new strategies to trick consumers into buying things they didn’t need. After a few years of being one of the best in the business, Quentin began to run out of ideas. He did the only thing someone like Quentin Beck could think of: he stole others’ designs and plans.

Stealing ideas worked for a year until he overheard management talking about him. They were going to look into his past after they received fraud complaints. Quentin quit that day. Laws were harsh in the new world, and something like that could lead to several years of jail time. Quentin didn’t want to take that risk. He quit hoping that his company would stop looking into his past and wished that it would be enough to cover his fraud.

Quentin didn’t want to chance going back into marketing, so he decided to search for another career. At the time, he was in desperate need of money and needed to find a high paying job. In the new world, the highest paying jobs were first those who were not sterilized and selected to have children. Quentin couldn’t do that because he had been sterilized, like most people, at 16.

The second highest paying jobs were government leaders, which was tied for second with certain CEO’s. The third was entertainment such as actresses, actors, and athletes. Fourth was medical, and the fifth-highest paying job was teachers and caregivers. Quentin had once learned that caregivers and teachers were low paying jobs in the old world, which was a strange thought in the new world.

Government, CEO, entertainment, and medical would take several years to accomplish, with a high chance of being unattainable. Compared to those professions, teaching and caregiving seemed like the most comfortable option. To be a teacher or caregiver, a person needed a master’s degree. It didn’t matter in what. Along with a master’s degree, the individual needed to take a year-long training class and a one-year field practice to get a license.

Quentin already had a master’s in business and would only need to get a caregiver’s license. He would have to take out a student loan to pay for the first year, but Quentin would be paid half in the second year of hands-on training. Half a paycheck for a caregiver was as much as he made in marketing.

But, Damn, he hated kids. It was hard not to show his hatred through the two years of school. It took everything in him not to slap around the germ balls he was forced to care for, but he put on a fake smile for two years and said all the right things until they granted him his license.

He was happy to learn about Midtown Care Center, and he met the fantastic Mr. Toomes. Quentin made more money there than he ever thought possible. The only issue was the children. He was assigned five one-year-olds. Their first caregiver had quit, and Quentin could understand why they were insufferable.

As more time passed, Quentin began to like one of the children, Peter. Michelle was too sassy and always talked back, which irritated Quentin to no end. Ned was sweet but cried too much. That only left Flash and Brad. They were by far the worst of the group. They were impossible to control, did not listen to the lessons, and both were high maintenance.

Peter was different from most children. He was smart and quick-witted, but he was sweet. He rarely talked back. He did what he was told and often helped take care of Ned and Michelle. He always looked out for them and was fiercely protective. Peter practically did his job for him.

Peter would read to both Michelle and Ned at night and help them get ready. He would clean up after himself and the others. As more time went on, Quentin realized he didn’t want to send Peter away. He wanted to keep Peter for himself.

Having Peter would open so many doors. Quentin was already considered high class because of his position as a caregiver, but individuals with children were thought more highly of because of the test they had to pass to have children. No one would think for a second that Quentin was committing fraud or any immoral acts with a child.

Not only would having Peter clear his name for any crimes he would commit, but he could use Peter for all the cleaning and cooking of his house. Quentin didn’t want to be a caregiver for another second. The thought of taking care of another set of children made him sick, but the idea of adopting Peter finally gave him hope.

He could go back to the job he loved. Peter was easy to control and manipulate. He was gullible, and Quentin knew he could shape Peter exactly how he wanted. The only issue was Quentin did not doubt that Peter would be considered a desirable. Not only would he be regarded as a desirable, but he would be a high class desirable.

Even in the rank of desirables, there were classes of low, average, and high. High-class desirables sold for a ridiculous amount of money, and there was no way Quentin could ever afford that kind of price tag. Despite his high paying job, Quentin did not know how to manage money. In the years he had been a caregiver, most of his money was spent on his debts. He had a very meager amount of savings.

Luckily for Quentin, he knew the test family that would be hosting Peter. Quentin knew that his old friend would have no issue marking Peter as an undesirable if he asked. No matter how Peter conducted himself, Quentin would make sure the results came back with Peter marked as an undesirable.


	3. The Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I know I promised a much longer chapter. It's not much longer, but it is longer so yay for that!!!

Peter had never been so nervous. Today was the day, for the next two weeks, he would live with a test family. Whatever the test family decided, it would shape his future for good or for bad. Many caregivers and teachers would stress the importance of being a desirable.

They tried to explain to the small children, who had no concept of class or money, why it was essential to have money and how life would be more comfortable if you came from money. Peter thought he understood. Money bought you stuff. The more money you had, the more things you had.

Peter knew that money also bought things like food. Peter assumed that having money would take away the stress of having to worry about not having enough food or enough toys. The more Peter thought of it, the more he wondered if he wanted money.

Mr. Toomes had a lot of money, and Mr. Beck always talked about money. They were both evil. Mr. Toomes had many things, but he didn’t know how to share. Mr. Beck’s whole goal in life was to get lots and lots of money so he could be rich and get lots of things too. Peter didn’t understand that. He tried to understand, but he couldn’t.

Why were things so important? He wasn’t going to lie, he liked toys, but he liked Michelle and Ned much better. The best people in his life were Michelle and Ned, and they didn’t have any money. Maybe money made people mean. All Peter wanted was a lovely family, someone just like Ned and Michelle.

Peter was half tempted to have lots of temper tantrums, so the test family would say he was an undesirable. That way, Peter could go to a family that wasn’t rich and mean like Mr. Toomes. At the last minute, on the drive to his test family, Peter decided against that. He wanted to show people that he could be a good boy.

He wanted to prove to Mr. Beck, Brad, and Flash that he was worth something. He wanted to show them that he was desirable and prove them wrong. That way, Mr. Beck, Brad, and Flash couldn’t make fun of him anymore. Peter would finally show them that he was better than what they thought.

-

Mr. and Mrs. Osborn had a weird relationship. Peter had only seen Disney movies, but he always thought when people got married, they were supposed to live happily ever after, but Mr. and Mrs. Osborn didn’t even talk to each other. Peter was sure he had never even heard Mrs. Osborn speak in the whole week he was there so far.

They both had a son, Harry. Peter liked Harry. Peter was shocked to learn that Harry was six and still didn’t know how to read. It made Peter feel slightly better about academics. He thought he was far behind, but from watching Harry, it seemed like he was ahead.

Peter wanted to help Harry, so he was currently helping him with his homework. They sat around a huge dining room table and Peter was guiding Harry through the reading material to answer the questions at the end. They only had five questions left when Mr. Osborn walked in.

Mr. Osborn scoffed at Harry before he spoke. “Harry! I can’t believe you, a child one year younger than you, is doing your homework. You should be embarrassed. I am ashamed of you. I can’t believe your test family thought you were a desirable. They should be taken out of the system.”

Peter looked worriedly at Harry. Peter hated to see the look of sadness on Harry’s face, so he quickly spoke up, trying to defend his friend. “Harry is doing good, Mr. Osborn. He is very smart.” Peter smiled at Harry then at Mr. Osborn.

Even with Peter smiling up at Mr. Osborn, his grim features did not change. “You are such a sweet boy, Peter. So smart, I can tell you are going to be very successful one day, unlike someone in this room. Harry, watch your new friend closely, that is how you should act. If you don’t become better soon, I will no longer want you and send you to the farms where you will have no family, do you want that?”

Peter gasped and looked at Harry. Harry looked frightened, and it seemed he was going to cry. Peter didn’t know what to do or how to make things better. Harry spoke, his voice wobbling. “I am sorry, father. I promise I will try harder.”

Peter tried to mend the situation by saying. “He is already doing better, Mr. Osborn. He is a very good boy.” Peter nodded his head with confidence because Harry was a good boy. He was friendly, polite. He was good at sharing. Peter couldn’t see one thing wrong with him, nothing that would make Mr. Osborn send him to the farms.

Mr. Osborn shook his head. “He will get nowhere in life if he can’t even learn how to read. I have no idea how I got stuck with such a stupid child. My wife and I should have been more patient. If we had waited a year, we could have gotten you, Peter. You would have been deserving of our wealth, not my son.” Mr. Osborn paused his rant to sneer at Harry.

“I am going to increase the hours you spend with your tutor. You do not deserve the free time I am giving you, Harry. I expect to see improvement in your academics soon.” Mr. Osborn said before he left the room.

The room was filled with an awkward silence. Peter didn’t know what to say and felt that he was partially to blame for Mr. Osborn’s outburst. Harry began to sniffle, so Peter did the only thing he could think to do and hugged him. Harry’s tears confirmed it. Peter didn’t want money. Mr. Osborn was wealthy, and Peter couldn’t imagine living in a home like this. He didn’t want to live in a house like this.

Peter was lucky that Mr. Osborn hadn’t been patient. Peter felt bad for Harry and felt guilty that he was glad he wasn’t him. Harry had all the toys and gadgets a kid could ever want, but nothing was worth being treated like that. Harry was now sobbing. Peter held him closer, trying to cover the sounds of him crying, worried that Mr. Osborn would come back.

Harry sobbed in his chest, holding his shirt tightly. “He's going to send me away. I don’t know what to do. I promise I am trying.” Harry said. Peter nodded, not knowing what to say because he didn’t know either. It was evident to Peter that Harry was trying. He wasn’t like Flash or Brad, who didn’t listen. Harry listened, but it was just harder for him than it was for Peter to understand.

Peter patted Harry’s hair while saying, “I know, it’s going to be okay.” Peter had seen that in a movie before, and it helped the person who was crying. It didn’t seem to work the same way it did in the movie because Harry didn’t stop crying, but Peter kept doing it, hoping that it would eventually work.

-

The two weeks went by fast. Peter wasn’t sure how good he did. He didn’t cry once, he didn’t complain, and he did what he was told. Peter wasn’t sure why he was still trying to be good. He didn’t want to be considered a desirable anymore even if it would prove Mr. Beck, Brad, and Flash wrong.

The only reason Peter was trying to be good now was because he was afraid of Mr. Osborn. After the homework incident, Mr. Osborn kept his word, and the next day Harry’s tutoring hours were increased. Peter rarely saw Harry after that. Peter only saw him at dinner when he would return at 6 PM. After dinner, Mr. Osborn gave him one hour of free time before he had to get ready for bed. It seemed like a miserable way to spend a day.

Mr. Osborn had taken Peter to his business on one of the days that Harry had school and tutoring. He had taken Peter all around the building showing him all the technology he was creating and what it would do. Peter didn’t understand it all, but it was fascinating.

Even though He didn’t understand all of what Mr. Osborn explained, Mr. Osborn had told Peter that he had understood more of what he was saying in the last few days than Harry ever had in the last year. Peter again didn’t know what to say. He wanted to defend his friend but was too afraid to disagree with Mr. Osborn, so he decided to say nothing.

Mr. Osborn seemed to like Peter. Peter had no clue why. He seemed to hate everyone. Peter had no idea what made him special. Even on the day Peter went to Mr. Osborn’s work, he had treated all of his staff poorly. Everyone seemed scared of him.

Peter was glad it was his last night there. He didn’t want to spend one more day with Mr. Osborn. The only bright side was Harry, but now Peter didn’t even see him anymore. Peter couldn’t sleep. He was nervous about his test results.

His whole life, he had been afraid of being undesirable now. He was scared of being desirable. After his time with the Osborn family, a new fear crossed his mind. What if he wasn’t good enough for the adoptive family?

Peter would try to be a good boy, but he knew he would mess up one day. One day he would say something mean, or maybe he would even have a tantrum. What would his family do? Would they send him away like Mr. Osborn always threatened to do with Harry?

Peter had always thought that if he tried his best and was good, he would never be sent to a farm, but Harry was always good, and somehow he was not enough. If Harry was not enough, there was no way that Peter ever could be good for any family. It was only a matter of time before they would get sick of him.

-

Harry cried when he left to Mr. Osborn’s dissatisfaction. They hugged for a solid minute. Peter felt terrible leaving Harry. He would now have to be alone with his awful father. Peter was forced away from Harry and walked to the car.

In the car sat Mr. Beck. “Well, Peter, it seems you were a naughty boy. I already got your test results back, and to nobody's surprise, you are an undesirable.” Mr. Beck said the words with a smile on his face. Peter tried to hide his happiness.

Peter’s classification took away so much pressure. Peter’s adoptive family would now expect nothing from him. His adoptive family would never wonder why someone considered him a desirable they would know right away what they were getting into. Peter wouldn’t have to worry about high-class life.

Harry had once explained how he was supposed to act at parties or around his dad’s friends. There were so many things that he couldn’t say and so many things he had to do right to be considered polite. His father would frequently bring up to friends how much he spent on Harry and how he wasn’t worth it.

His adoptive family would never be able to say he wasn’t worth a high price tag because they wouldn’t have to pay a high price for him. Peter felt relieved that he wouldn’t be forced to go to high-class parties where he would be told to act a certain way. The stress was leaving him in waves.

Peter was slightly surprised that he got an undesirable classification, Mr. Osborn seemed to like him, but Peter guessed no one could please Mr. Osborn. It hurt somewhat. It was finally confirmed to Peter that even at his best, he was worthless.

“I am ashamed of you, you worthless child.” Mr. Beck’s words shook Peter out of his thoughts. “I am sorry, Mr. Beck,” Peter mumbled “I tried.” the last words were said so quietly Peter could barely hear them himself.

Mr. Beck laughed, “I know you tried if they saw you at your worst, the report would be even more awful. Haven’t I told you a million times, Peter, there is nothing good about you.”

Peter nodded. Peter had always hoped that he would be taken away from Mr. Beck’s cruel words and punishments when he was adopted, but it seemed all adults were the same. Peter had always hoped his life would be like Annie’s, and he would find a Mr. Warbucks and be happy and loved for the rest of his life.

Mr. Beck continued to say harsh words, but Peter didn’t listen; he was too wrapped up in his fears for the future to care what Mr. Beck thought of him. They stopped in front of Midtown Care Center, where Mr. Beck practically shoved him out of the car.

Brad, Flash, Michelle, and Ned were waiting. They were being watched by Mr. Toomes. Mr. Toomes looked up. “So, what was the result? Will Peter be giving the center a good donation.”

Mr. Beck laughed. “Do you even have to ask? Of course, not. Peter is the worst of the bunch. I am surprised he didn’t get a lower rating. They marked him as an undesirable.”

Mr. Toomes glared at Peter, and Peter shrunk in on himself. Mr. Toomes turned sharply and began to walk away while saying “Good for nothing children,” under his breath. Brad and Flash were laughing uncontrollably, While Ned and Michelle looked at him with pity. Peter held back tears. Today was going to be a very long day.


	4. First Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!!! I wanted to post something in celebration of the new year, hope you all like it :D

Tony was not known for being the healthiest eater. Despite being a billionaire, his primary source of nutrition was take out food. Not only were his eating habits bad, but he had a horrible exercise and sleep schedule. When Tony’s doctor explained he had heart problems, Tony shouldn’t have been shocked, but he was.

He felt embarrassed that at the age of 32, he was already having heart problems. But, being a billionaire did have benefits. After several surgeries and treatments, Tony's heart was finally healthy again at the age of 35.

Wanting to avoid more health problems, Tony decided to hire a personal trainer/chef. He hired a man by the name of Steve Rogers. At the age of 30, Steve had made a name for himself. He owned his own gym and trained athletes, actors, and many other people with big names. Not only was he a great trainer, but he was a fantastic chef.

Tony could still remember the first time he meant Steve. He was the most attractive person Tony had ever met. Not only was he good looking, but their personalities blended well together. Tony wasn’t ignorant, he knew he was hard to get along with, but Steve seemed to have no trouble breaking through Tony’s walls.

Tony blamed his personality on his father. His dad had left so many scars. The government stated that due to their system, no child should fall through the cracks. Every child would be placed in the right home, but his father was an asshole so that obviously was not true. The system was broken, but everyone was too afraid to admit it.

Due to years of emotional abuse, Tony had learned to close himself off to other people. He made it difficult for anyone to get to know him, but Steve was kind, a good listener, and patient. In no time, Tony and Steve had become close friends. They would often spend hours talking over the dinner Steve had made.

Their friendship soon turned into something much more. Within two years, they were married. After a few years of marriage, Steve wanted to take the next step, and to Steve, that meant having kids. Having kids had never been in Tony’s plans. He never wanted to mess up a kid's future the way his father had.

Tony’s worst nightmare was becoming just like his dad, and avoiding that, he swore he would never have kids. Steve tried to respect Tony’s wishes. Even though he wanted kids, he didn’t want them without Tony. After Tony refused several times, Steve decided to let it go, resigned that he would never be a father.

During that time, all their friends started to adopt, and Tony was amazed by Steve. It was clear to Tony that Steve was a natural with children, he always knew what to say, and kids seemed to love him. That was when Tony decided that even if he was not enough, Steve would be enough. That night when he told Steve he wanted to adopt. Tony had only seen Steve that happy one other time, and that was the night he asked Steve to marry him.

They immediately started the process, and they luckily passed the guardianship test on the first try. The only thing they needed to do now was find the perfect child. If Tony was going to do this, he wanted to do it right. He wasn’t going to adopt just to adopt; he wanted to have a real connection with their future child before they officially adopted them.

In the old world, when people were allowed to have their own children, Tony had read a journal of a mother and father’s experience. They talked about being there in the hospital and holding their child for the first time. At that moment, they knew. One look at their newborn confirmed they were going to love their child for the rest of their life.

Maybe Tony was asking too much, but he wanted that feeling. He wanted to be able to look at the child and just know. Over the past five years, that is what Steve and Tony had been looking for. Steve was ready to adopt the first child they met, but Tony once again thanked God for Steve’s patients. When Tony disagreed, Steve was understanding and said they would keep looking.

Steve continued to be patient after visiting several centers and meeting several different children. Steve had always been ready, but to Tony, it had never felt right. Tony was now 42, and Steve was 37. The cut-off date for having a child was 45 years old, no one would be able to adopt once they reached that age or their partner reached that age.

Tony knew he only had a few more years to adopt, but it seemed more hopeless after each center.

-

Tony sighed. He was leaving work early today. Steve wanted to visit another center. Midtown Care Center didn’t have the best reviews, but Tony could tell Steve was getting desperate for Tony to pick, and he was running out of places for them to visit.

Tony made it to his car. He was going to drive straight to the center where he would be meeting Steve. He already felt anxious. Unlike Steve, Tony was not a natural with children. He never knew what to say or how to interact with them. It was always an awkward and uncomfortable experience.

Tony knew it would break Steve’s heart, but the more interviews they went to and the more centers they visited, it just made Tony realize he wasn’t ready for this and he would never be prepared for this. After this visit, Tony knew he needed to break the news to Steve. He would finally get the courage to tell Steve he no longer wanted to adopt. Even if it meant seeing Steve sad, Tony had to tell him.

His stomach sank further as he pulled into the center’s parking lot to see his husband's happy, excited face. He pulled in next to his husband’s car and was instantly greeted with his door being opened and a pleasant kiss. Tony slowly pulled away, smiling at Steve.

“Are you excited?” Steve asked as he grabbed Tony’s hand and began to lead him to the front doors. “Nervous,” Tony answered in a stressed tone. Steve gave Tony a knowing and understanding look as he gave Tony’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

As soon as they walked into the building, Tony was met with an unpleasant smell. It smelt like stale milk, urine, with a mix of vomit. In all the centers they had visited, they had never been met with a smell like that. The bad reviews were starting to make sense.

The walls were a dull cracking gray. In the other centers they had visited, the walls always seemed newly painted with bright colors. Most centers had several pieces of children's art hanging from the walls and ceiling, but the walls only had peeling paint and water stains on the ceiling in this center.

They made their way to the main office. They had already made an appointment, so they were soon greeted by the owner of the facility. Once they walked through the door, the owner was grinning at them. The owner then reached out his hand to shake both of theirs.

“Welcome to Midtown Care Center. I am Adrian Toomes, the owner of this facility. I am so sorry for the state of this building at the current moment. We are in the middle of a remodel, but we are so excited to have you with us today.” Once Mr. Toomes finished, he guided them to his office.

Tony couldn’t shake the feeling that something seemed wrong with this care center. Despite Mr.Toomes saying they were in the middle of a remodel, there were no workers or sounds of construction. Maybe he was overthinking. He was nervous, which most likely played a role in how he currently felt. Everything felt wrong. He already wanted to leave. There was no way a center like this could have the right child for them.

Despite his feelings, he still followed Steve into Mr. Toomes’ office. They sat on a beautiful leather couch in front of a large mahogany desk as Mr.Toomes closed the door behind them. At least this room seemed nice. The office had a pleasant smell, fresh paint, and new furniture. Tony had been overthinking. Based on the state of the office, the facility must be in the middle of a remodel. They just haven’t gotten to the hallway and entrance yet.

Mr.Toomes walked to his desk and pulled out a large binder. “We currently have a lot of four-year-olds that will soon be turning five and some that are already five. I am assuming you are only interested in children who have already been classified as desirables?” Steve nodded his head as Mr.Toomes began to flip through the binder, pulling out pictures of children that met their requirements.

Tony watched as he flipped through each page. “Stop.” The words came out of Tony’s mouth before he even thought about it. Mr.Toomes paused. “Who is that?” Tony pointed at the happy picture of a sweet-looking boy. Just from the picture alone, Tony could tell he was a sweet kid. He had floppy brown hair with big innocent brown eyes. At that moment, Tony strongly felt the need to protect that child and make sure those big brown eyes remained innocent and sweet for the rest of his life.

Tony watched as a sneer crossed the man's face as he looked at the picture. Mr. Toomes’ face quickly switched to a smile. Fury began to run through Tony’s veins. How could anyone sneer at such a sweet innocent face? Before he could say anything in defense of the sweet looking boy, he didn’t even know yet, Mr.Toomes spoke. “That is Peter. He just received his classification. He is an undesirable and a challenging child.”

“I want to meet him.” Once more, Tony spoke before he could think. He felt terrible for not consulting with Steve first, and he hoped his spouse wasn’t angry with him. Tony turned to look at Steve instead of anger he saw a shocked face. Tony guessed he couldn’t blame Steve for his surprise; he had never acted like this at a center before. He didn’t understand why he felt the way he did or why he acted like this, but he couldn’t stop himself.

Mr.Toomes shook his head. “Trust me. You do not want someone like Peter. Someone of your class deserves a better child.” Mr.Toomes must have noticed the determined look on his face, so instead, he turned to Steve. “What do you think, Mr.Rogers? I am sure you want a child who has a higher classification. No one wants an undesirable child, especially if they can afford a desirable one.”

Steve’s voice sounded as determined as Tony felt as he spoke. “You heard my husband. We want to meet him.” Mr.Toomes sighed. “Fine, but before you meet, I have to inform and warn you about a few issues. Peter has asthma, a defect.” Mr.Toomes paused, expecting us to change our minds at the new information, but when neither of us said anything, he continued.

“In his report, his test family complained of obstinance, rude behavior, temper tantrums, and an unwillingness to listen. Are you sure you still want to meet him?” We both nodded our heads yes. Tony was happy that without even asking, Steve was on board. “Alright, please wait here while I go get him.”

As soon as Mr.Toomes left the room, Tony turned to Steve. “Thank you.” That was all he could say. Tony wasn’t sure what he was thanking Steve for. Maybe he was thanking him for always having his back, always being patient, always being understanding, or for always knowing what Tony needed.

Steve smiled at him, “He does seem sweet.” Steve picked up Peter’s picture as he continued talking. “I think it’s the eyes. You can just see his goodness, or I guess, according to his reports, his potential for goodness. You usually don’t react like this. What makes this child different?”

Tony shrugged. “I don’t know Steve, but I just feel the need to protect him. I especially want to protect him from the way that asshole talks about him. Maybe, I see myself in him. No, that's not right. He seems sweeter than I ever was. I honestly don’t know what it is, but it already feels like he is my kid, and I want to defend him.”

Steve seemed to beam at Tony's last statement. Tony could hear the excitement in his voice as Steve spoke. “Is he the one, are we finally going to become parents?” Joy radiated off of him, Tony wanted to say yes, but he didn’t want his emotion to get the better of him. “Let's not jump the gun. We have to meet him first. He must be an undesirable for a reason, and we might not be able to handle him.”

Steve opened his mouth to say something, but the door opening cut him off. Mr.Toomes walked in with a small child closely behind him. The child seemed more perfect in person. “Hello.” the little boy said in a quiet, sweet voice. Tony answered with an awkward small wave while Steve smiled hugely at him. “Hello, I am Steve, and this is my husband, Tony,” Steve said as he gestured towards Tony.

Peter responded with a big bright smile. “I am Peter. I am almost five.” He held up five fingers as he spoke. “I am going to be a really big kid soon and go to big kid school.” Tony and Steve let out a chuckle at the child's statement, already finding the child endearing.

Tony spoke now, smiling softly at Peter. “It's nice to meet you, Peter.” The child’s smile somehow became impossibly wider at that moment. The way the child was looking at Steve and Tony. It seemed like they had given him a puppy.

Mr.Toomes cleared his throat as he walked towards his desk, sitting down. “Peter needs to get back to his studies soon, but I have allotted you a 15-minute visit. You may talk about whatever you want. I will remain here to answer any questions you might have, but otherwise, just pretend I am not here.”

Mr.Toomes gave Peter a stern look that had the child's smile fading. He turned back towards Steve and Tony. He looked towards Steve as he spoke, “What is your job? Are you a firefighter?” Steve laughed before he said, “What makes you think that?”

Peter pointed at Steve’s muscular arms. “You look like the pictures of firefighters.” Peter then gasped. “Or are you a superhero?” Steve shook his head. “I am not either, sadly. You might not know what this is, but I am a personal trainer, and I own a gym. Basically, I help people exercise. Do you know what exercise is?”

Peter began to giggle. Steve looked at Tony. They both weren’t around many children and weren’t exactly sure how much a child should know. Maybe Steve asked a stupid question, and the child was laughing at it. Before Steve could ask why Peter was giggling, Peter spoke.

“That is silly. Mr.Beck and the teachers always say playing is exercising. That is so silly. You have to teach people how to play. Don’t they already know how to play?” Peter giggled again. Both Tony and Steve smiled at Peter’s amusement.

“Peter.” Mr.Toomes interrupted with a sharp tone making Peter jump. “You are not being polite. Stop being bothersome and stop asking inappropriate questions. Do you need to go back to your studies earlier?” Peter quickly shook his head. “No, I am sorry, Mr.Toomes, I didn't mean to be bad.”

Peter then turned back to Steve and Tony. He looked like he was holding back tears. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to make fun of your job. It sounds really fun.” Tony’s blood began to boil. The way Toomes was speaking to Peter reminded him of how his father treated him growing up. Tony always felt like he was walking on eggshells.

“It’s okay, Peter, you did nothing wrong,” Tony said before he leveled a glare at Toomes. Steve feeling the tension in the air, tried to focus on Peter. Steve smiled at the boy. “I am also a cook. I know how to bake all sorts of things like cookies and pies.”

Peter's eyes widened. “Can you even make cakes?” Tony and Steve were both happy to hear the sadness leave his voice. “He can, and he is good at it. He makes some of the best food in the whole world, but cookies are his specialty.” Tony said.

“That is so cool! I love cookies!” Peter said with excitement. Peter then looked at Tony. Peter was so focused on Steve he had barely looked at Tony. Tony seemed familiar, but he didn’t know why.

Steve spoke again. “Tony is the one with the cool job. He is the big boss of a place that makes cell phones and other amazing things. He invents new things all the time.” That's when it clicked. Peter knew Tony’s face from Mr.Osborn.

While at Mr.Osborn’s house, he watched a few things on TV that had Tony in it. Mr.Osborn explained to Peter that Tony, Mr.Osborn called him Mr.Stark, was his biggest competitor. Peter didn’t understand what the people on TV were saying, but from what he understood, Mr.Osborn was losing, and Mr.Stark was winning not only Mr.Osborn but everyone.

Peter wanted to cry. That meant Tony must be just like Mr.Osborn. Peter was confused why they would want to visit with him. If they had lots of money, they should be looking for a desirable. Peter’s heart began to pound rapidly. He didn’t want to have the same life as Harry. He didn’t want these people to talk about how much money he was and how he wasn’t worth it.

Peter didn’t want to go to fancy parties where he couldn’t say or do anything. Peter wanted to be loved, not live in a home where he held back tears continuously. Tony and Steve seemed nice, but Peter wondered if they were good at pretending just like Mr.Beck and Mr.Toomes. Peter questioned if this was how Norman Osborn treated Harry at first. Maybe Peter was wrong, but these nice men didn’t seem very nice anymore.

“Do you know Mr.Osborn?” Peter's voice was small. He was hoping he was mistaken and that Tony wouldn’t know who he was talking about. Both Steve and Tony were taken aback by the question. It seemed odd for a child to somehow know who one of Tony’s competitors were.

“Yes, I do. We have similar jobs. How do you know him?” Tony answered. Peter’s heart sank, so Tony was who Peter thought. “The Osborn’s were my test family. They talked about you-” before Peter could continue, Mr.Toomes shot out of his desk.

“Peter! That is enough. You have been very naughty today. That is not something you are supposed to talk about.” He roughly grabbed Peter by the upper arm and practically dragged Peter out of the room before either Tony or Steve could react.

Both Steve and Tony seemed frozen. Both were shocked by how things were handled here. Something strange was happening at this center.


	5. A Horrible Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!! Graphic depiction of child abuse in this chapter. There is spanking in this story. If that is triggering to you please do not read. I do not want anyone to be negatively effected by my story. If I forgot any tags please let me know.

After several minutes Mr. Toomes finally entered the office again. “I am so sorry about that. Like I was saying before, Peter is a problem child. We have other children that would better suit your status. Would you like me to show you more photos, and then we can go through your options?”

Steve spoke with a voice radiating anger. “The only problem is you. I am shocked by how you handle children. We are leaving.” Tony had never heard Steve so angry. He was usually very calm and polite to everyone he met, but Tony felt that even the biggest saint would be frustrated with the situation.

Before Mr. Toomes could speak to defend himself, Tony and Steve got up and left the facility. Both didn’t say anything as they got into their separate cars. Both were too shocked to speak after their experience. They had never visited a facility like Midtown Care Center.

-

Peter sat on a cold hard chair. That was the only thing in the time out room. Peter wrapped his arms around himself not only to comfort himself but to try to warm his cold body.

Peter wasn’t sure how long he had been in the timeout room. Mr. Toomes had angrily locked him in the room after dragging Peter out of his office. Usually, they only left kids in the timeout room for an hour or two, but once Peter had been left in there for a whole day. Peter hoped that wouldn’t happen today.

Peter thought of the meeting with Tony and Steve. Tears began to gather in his eyes again at the thought of them. There was no way Peter could ever be enough for someone of Tony’s status. Peter knew if they adopted him, he would shortly be sent to the farms. His worst nightmare would become his reality.

Peter wouldn’t even get a family, good or bad he would be sent to the farms where he would be alone and unloved forever. Peter's ears started ringing. Over the ringing in his ears, he could distinctly hear the sound of his ragged breath becoming more and more erratic.

He couldn’t breathe. He jumped off the chair, and he frantically ran to the door banging on it. Peter knew he would get in big trouble for knocking on the door and leaving the chair, but all he could think about was his inability to breathe.

He tried to scream but couldn’t summon enough air to speak. The world around him was beginning to turn black as black dots consumed his eyes. Peter felt his body crumble to the floor. Peter could barely hear or see anymore, but he was sure he heard the door open.

-

Peter woke up in a soft bed. He was used to being squished by Ned at his side, but he had the bed to himself. He looked at the blankets covering him and was surprised to see clean white sheets. Most of the sheets in the facility were pee-stained.

He looked around the room, trying to make sense of his surroundings. There was a machine beeping next to him and a needle in his arm. Peter could feel an object resting on his face, and he knew he wore an oxygen mask that was pushing medication and oxygen into his lungs. Peter had been here a few times before. It was the medical office at Midtown Care Center.

“How are you feeling, Peter?” Peter looked to his side to see Dr. Otto Octavius. Peter didn’t like Dr. Octavius. He was another mean staff member at Midtown Care Center. He always made Peter feel bad and was rough.

Peter stammered as he spoke. “I-I-I am okay… I think. Just sleepy.” Dr. Octavius shook his head. “Your defect did this to you again. You are a perfect example of why they should not stop killing children with defects at one. They should kill any kid that presents a defect despite their age. You will be so bothersome to your adoptive family.”

Peter didn’t know what to say. The thought of someone coming to kill him because he had asthma scared him. “I am sorry.” Peter finally squeaked out. Dr. Octavius did not soften at the apology. Instead, his features continued to morph into disgust. Peter felt like nothing more than a mistake under Dr. Octavius’s stare.

Luckily, Shortly after Peter woke up, Dr. Octavius deemed him healthy enough to leave the medical office. Peter quickly left the office, wanting nothing more to get away from Dr. Octavius’s disapproving stare.

Peter had been in the time out room for one hour and in the medical office for two. It was now six o’clock. Peter sat at the dinner table. There was a roar of voices that made his head pound. Children that didn’t eat their dinner were either sent to the timeout room or spanked, so Peter reluctantly shoved food in his mouth.

Peter only wanted this awful day to end, so he watched the clock waiting impatiently for it to be bedtime.

_

“What are you thinking?” Steve asked Tony over dinner. Tony jerked at the sound of Steve’s voice; he had been so deep in thought he almost missed Steve’s question.

“It is obvious after meeting Peter for only a few minutes he is not an undesirable. He had no bad behaviors or habits.” Tony still sounded shocked and confused over the situation.

Steve nodded his head. “The Osborn’s were his test family. Let's be honest, can anyone please Norman Osborn?” Steve added.

Tony shook his head in anger. “How in the world could they let someone like the Osborn’s be a test family? Honestly, how could they let someone like Norman Osborn adopt? That poor boy, you and I both know how he treats him.”

Steve’s eyes became saddened. “You and I also know that the system is broken. You especially were failed by the system. There needs to be some big changes. I can’t believe things have gone on like this for so long.”

Steve and Tony both felt the same way about the way things were run. Tony had invested and donated tremendous amounts of money to organizations trying to change the system, but nothing could be done for now.

Tony was nervous about what he was going to say. “I think we should do this, Steve. I think Peter is the one. Let’s become parents.”  
Steve’s smile radiates happiness as he speaks. “Are you serious? He is so sweet and perfect. We need to set up his room and buy all his favorite toys. We need to get him new clothes and… I can’t believe we are finally doing this!”

Tony strangely felt as excited as Steve. He could already imagine Peter running around the house. “We first have to visit Peter more. He seemed terrified of me after I said I knew Norman Osborn. We need to make him comfortable with us before we let him know we are adopting him.”

Despite Tony’s fears of being a horrible father, he felt more relaxed than he had in years. Happiness seemed to bubble through him. Just for a moment, he started to believe he could do this. He could be what Peter needed.

-

It was the next morning after the disaster that was yesterday. Peter didn’t feel like playing even though it was recess. Michelle and Ned tried to get him to play on the playground, but Peter refused, preferring to sit on a metal bench and watch the other kids play.

Peter watched as Flash walked up to him. Peter already felt sad, and he knew Flash would only make it worse.

“Hey, stupid,” Flash said. Peter didn’t say anything hoping that Flash would get bored and leave him alone. “You went to the timeout room.” Flash laughed at Peter poking him.

“I bet it was because that family didn’t want you.” Once the words left Flash’s mouth, Peter saw red. Before he knew what he was doing, he punched Flash right in the nose. Flash plopped on the floor, holding his nose as he let out a deafening cry.

Peter looked up, panicked as Mr. Beck came storming towards them. Flash was still crying loudly on the floor while crocodile tears ran down his face. Mr. Beck roughly grabbed Peter’s arm as he shook him. “What is the matter with you, you awful child?” Mr. Beck shouted in his face. Peter couldn’t speak. He was too afraid to talk or move.

Another caretaker came over, telling Mr. Beck that they would take care of Flash while Mr. Beck punished Peter. Peter’s stomach dropped at the confirmation that he would be punished. Mr. Beck began to drag Peter back inside, but Peter dragged his feet.

Mr. Beck quickly got frustrated and easily picked up Peter despite his struggles. This is when Peter found his courage to speak. “Please, Mr. Beck. I am sorry. I didn’t mean to. Please don’t punish me.” In response, Mr. Beck angrily hushed him.

Mr. Beck was walking towards Peter’s and Ned’s room, which meant a spanking. Peter tried to squirm out of Mr. Beck’s grasp, but his hold was too tight. Mr. Beck swung open the door, dropping Peter to the floor and shutting the door behind him.

Peter had been spanked quite a few times in his life. Each time was horrid. He always felt like he was going to die from the pain. No matter how much he begged or cried, Mr. Beck wouldn’t stop until Peter was sure all the skin on his bottom had been burnt off.

Mr. Beck reached into a drawer and pulled out a hairbrush. Peter became ghostly white. The hairbrush was a thousand times worse than Mr. Beck’s hand. Peter pressed himself against the wall hoping to protect his butt from Mr. Beck’s fury.

Mr. Beck placed the brush on the bed and walked towards Peter. Peter sank further into the wall, hoping it would somehow swallow him up and take him away from this situation. “You are a naughty boy, Peter. What you did was very naughty, and you will be getting a spanking.”

Peter began to cry softly. “Please, Mr. Beck. I don’t want a spanking.” Mr. Beck shook his head disapprovingly at Peter. “You know the rules, Peter, and you decided to be a very naughty boy. You do not punch or hurt people. There is no excuse. What you did was bad. You are a horrible boy.”

Mr. Beck then leaned down and put his hands under Peter’s armpits as he picked him up. Peter hopelessly watched as he was carried to the bed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” Peter said over and over again, hoping to receive mercy.

Mr. Beck sat on the bed, making Peter stand in front of him between his legs. Mr. Beck reached out and undid Peter’s zipper and roughly pulled down his pants. His superman underwear soon followed, and then he was jerked over Mr. Beck's knee.

Peter let out a puff of air as his stomach harshly hit Mr. Beck's hard knee. Mr. Beck firmly put an arm around his waist, holding him tightly in place. Mr. Beck raised his hand high and brought it down hard on his bare bottom.

Peter jerked forward from the impact. Mr. Beck's hand was large and covered Peter’s whole bottom with one stroke. Peter let out a squeal at the harsh treatment. Mr. Beck was spanking harder than usual, and Peter already felt like the pain was unbearable. Another swat came down, and the pain was explosive as it shocked through his body.

Each smack had Peter lurching forward. Mr. Beck set a cruel pace and brought his hand down hard and fast. He didn’t allow Peter to catch his breath between the blows making sure Peter was squirming within minutes.

Mr. Beck would focus on one area and spank it until it became a bright red before moving on to the next area. Peter was wailing now and trying to beg through his sobs. “Owww, please, please, owww. Mr. Beck, please, it hurts.”

At Peter’s begging, Mr. Beck raised his arm higher, making Peter squeal louder. “Good, I want it to hurt. I hope you are learning a lesson, Peter.”

“I am Mr. Beck! Please stop.” Peter’s whole bottom was a glowing red. His legs kicked at every smack. Peter’s entire backside throbbed from the mistreatment. Mr. Beck spoke over Peter’s cries, “I am not even close to being done. Your behavior has given me no choice but to use the hairbrush.”

Peter watched with dread as Mr. Beck grasped the hairbrush that lay on the bed in front of his face. Mercilessly Mr. Beck began to attack Peter’s untouched sensitive undercurve and thighs. Peter practically screamed from the pain. He was clawing at the blanket, trying to find an escape or comfort.

“Too hard! Too hard! Please. I am sorry” Mr. Beck didn’t say anything, only continued his hard blows to the sensitive areas. Mr. Beck was now spanking red hot skin that had already been smacked several times, and he made several circuits around the bare bottom, sitting spots, and thighs.

Peter’s bottom went from a cherry red to a dark maroon. Peter couldn’t move any longer and was too tired to struggle anymore. Peter sobbed, hoping for the spanking to end. After five of the hardest whacks, the spanking finally stopped.

Peter tried to choke down his sobs as Mr. Beck yanked up his underwear and pants. Mr. Beck carried Peter over to the desk and chair in his room and plopped Peter down on the hard chair. Peter shifted miserably in the chair, still sobbing. “You are going to write lines.” Mr. Beck said as he grabbed a paper and wrote, “I will not hit.”

Mr. Beck turned to Peter again. “You will not leave this chair until you have written that 200 times. I can’t believe you, Peter. If you don’t start acting better, this is how you will be treated from now on. Do you want that?”

“No.” Peter sobbed. Mr. Beck sternly spoke as he said, “That is what is going to happen if you don’t learn to be a good boy. I will be adopting you soon, and I can’t have people thinking that I raised someone as awful as you. I will not stand for it. I will spank you every day if I need to.”

Peter froze. What did Mr. Beck just say? Peter looked up fearfully into his eyes, begging for it to be another one of Mr. Beck’s lies. At first, Mr. Beck seemed confused at Peter’s stare. Then a sinister smile began to form on his face.

“That's right. I forgot to tell you. When I said I was going to adopt a child, I was talking about you. I have already started the paperwork. You are going to be my son, Peter.”


	6. Second Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry everyone, this is going to be another rough chapter. *WARNING* graphic depictions of child abuse in this chapter. Thank you for reading and for all your nice comments!

Peter’s bottom still hurt even though Mr. Beck had spanked him two days ago. It was early in the morning, and the sun had not risen. It was Ned’s bath day, so Peter lay in bed by himself. The room was eerily quiet and dark. He would have to get up and get ready in 20 minutes, but he did not feel like moving.

Tears gathered in his eyes. For the past two days, all he could think about was what Mr. Beck had said. Now he would never escape from Mr. Beck’s clutches, and he would be sad forever. For the millionth time over the past few days, Peter began to cry. 

Peter slowly rose from the bed. His feet touched the cold tiled floor as he tiptoed over to the desk. In one of the drawers, he had hidden his dog, Pickle. Pickle was the cutest dog Peter had ever seen. Pickle had fluffy brown fur that was soft against Peter’s skin. One of Pickle’s dark button eyes had a circle of white hair around it. 

Everyone at the center had their own stuffed animal, but at the age of 3, they were asked to give them to the younger children after budget cuts. Peter couldn’t imagine parting with Pickle. He was one of Peter’s best friends. Peter knew it was terrible, but he had snuck Pickle into his drawer that day. 

Whenever he was really sad, he would always find Pickle and hug him. Pickle was a good listener and always listened to Peter when he was sad. Unlike, Mr. Beck who would get mad if Peter expressed his sadness about anything. 

Peter whispered quietly, not wanting anyone to know he was awake, “Pickle, I don’t know what to do.” Peter began to cry, “Mr. Beck is going to take me away, and he does not even like me. I thought parents were supposed to like their kids?” Pickle stared at him, and Peter could tell he understood. 

“I know you will always be with me, Pickle, but I wanted to take you to a good place.” Peter did not want to talk anymore, so instead, he walked silently over to his bed and sank into the covers. He held Pickle tightly as he cried himself to sleep. 

Peter was woken with a start as his bedroom door slammed against the wall. Mr. Beck’s familiar voice filled the room. “Peter! Get up now. I want you ready in 10 minutes.” Once Mr. Beck finished talking, the door slammed shut again. 

Peter scrambled out of bed, quickly hiding Pickle so he wouldn’t get taken away. Peter knew he would be disciplined if he wasn’t ready in 10 minutes, so he promptly got on his clothes and walked to the bathroom. Peter knew how to brush his teeth, so he didn’t have to ask for help as he finished his morning routine. 

The center did not offer breakfast, only lunch, and dinner. On a usual morning, Peter would find Ned and Michelle, and they would walk to morning classes together. They always met at the colorful butterfly rug. That is where Peter was currently walking when his upper arm was enveloped in a tight grip. 

Peter frantically looked up to see who was holding him. Peter was instantly filled with dread as he met Mr. Toomes eyes. “Goodmorning, Peter.” Mr. Toomes greeted as he began to march Peter into the direction of the hall. “The same couple that visited you a few days ago wants to meet with you again. Unlike last time you are to be on your best behavior. If you disobey, I will put you in the time out room again, but this time it will be longer than one hour.” Mr. Toomes shook his arm as he glared down at Peter. “Do you understand?”

Peter quickly nodded, wishing he had Pickle with him. After Mr. Beck’s horrible news and the spanking, Peter had utterly forgotten about the two-man. Peter was confused with why they still wanted to visit with him. It could not be because they wanted to adopt him. After all, Mr. Beck was already going to adopt him.

Mr. Toomes and Peter stopped in front of a door. It was the visitor playroom. Peter had only been in there once, and he was shocked by the shiny new toys inside and the unbroken furniture. The guest playroom was reserved for adoption interviews. 

Mr. Toomes leaned down, so he was eye level with Peter. “I don’t have time to babysit you. I need to fill out some paperwork, but if either Tony or Steve complains to me about bad behavior, there will be severe consequences.” Peter could hear the threat in Mr. Toomes’ voice as he spoke. 

Peter watched as Mr. Toomes stood up and opened the door. The room was as lovely as Peter remembered. The couple from before sat at a colorful table waiting for him. Peter shyly waved, afraid to speak in Mr. Toomes presence.

“I am afraid I have so much work to do today, so I will not be able to monitor your visit. If you need anything, I will be in my office. If Peter has any behavioral problems, please let me know. Enjoy your visit. I will be back in 30 minutes.” Once Mr. Toomes finished speaking, he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door. 

The room was quiet. After a few seconds of silence, Steve finally spoke, “Hello, Peter. Do you remember us? I am Steve, and this is my husband, Tony. We are here to play with you today. What would you like to play?”

Despite Peter’s mistrust of the two-man, he had to admit Steve had a nice friendly smile. “I remember you. I don’t care what we play. I like everything,” Peter said. Steve began to speak, “Okay, we can-” Peter cut him off with a loud gasp that startled both Tony and Steve. 

Peter spoke excitedly, “We can play pretend!” He walked over to a toy chest full of costumes. Peter pulled out a fireman hat. “You can be the fireman because you look like a fireman.” He handed the hat to Steve and waited for him to put it on. Peter’s excitement faded for a moment as he began to think about what he had just done. 

He had interrupted Steve and had been bossy. That was a big no, no. They were going to tell Mr. Toomes that he was bad. Tears began to puddle in his eyes. The two-man seemed confused by the change of personality. Peter’s voice wobbled as he spoke. “I am sorry that I inter- inter- I don’t know how to say that word.” A few tears slid down Peter’s face. 

Tony was quick to speak. “I think you mean interrupt. It’s okay, Peter. We don’t mind. Just be yourself. We promise we will not get mad at you. What do you want me to pretend to be?” To both the adults’ relief, the distraction seemed to work. Peter’s eyes began to dry as he looked at Tony with scrutiny. Peter spoke with confidence, “You can be the baby so Mr. Steve can save you.” He gave Tony a pacifier and bonnet. Tony laughed as he held the pacifier and put on the bonnet. Steve soon joined him in laughter when he took one look at Tony. 

Through Steve’s laughter, he spoke, “Peter, I could not have chosen better myself.” Tony gave Steve a death glare before he talked to Peter. “What are you going to pretend to be, Peter?” Peter instantly turned and practically fell into the toy trunk, trying to retrieve the item he was looking for. Peter popped out of the trunk with a doctor’s coat and stethoscope. 

“I will be the doctor, and after Mr. Steve saves you from the fire, I will help you.” Peter couldn’t stop giggling once they started playing their game. Mr. Steve and Mr. Tony were very bad at pretending. It made Peter feel relieved. Maybe they were not liars and were friendly people. 

Peter currently had the stethoscope pressed to Mr. Tony’s stomach. Tony was laying on the floor pretending to be unconscious. “The baby doesn’t sound sick. You did it, Mr. Steve. You are the best firefighter in the world!” 

Mr. Tony’s eyes shot open. “No, you did it, Dr. Peter. You are the best doctor in the world. You have saved my life.” Peter beamed at Mr. Tony. Mr. Steve then spoke, “Is that what you want to be when you are older?”

Peter bobbed his head up and down. “Yes! I am going to help people and never make them feel bad for having a defect. I will be nice and make people feel happy.” 

“Well, you are already an amazing doctor and have already made me feel happy,” Tony said. “Is this your favorite game?”

Peter quickly answered. “Yes, but Michelle is usually a police officer, and Ned is the baby. I am always the doctor. I have saved Ned tons of times and even Pickle.” Peter quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. He felt so relaxed with the two-man that he let the existence of Pickle slip. 

“Who is Pickle?” Mr. Steve questioned. Peter gestured for the man to come closer. Peter held a finger to his lips, making a quiet shushing sound. Peter began to whisper, “It is a secret, so you have to pinky promise not to tell anyone.” Mr. Tony linked pinkies with Peter’s left hand, and Mr. Steve linked pinkies with Peter’s right hand. Once the pinky promises were completed, Peter leaned in closely. “Pickle is my dog. He has been with me since I was a baby. He is super soft and sweet. He always listens to me. He is the best dog in the whole wide world, but I am not supposed to have him.”

Steve and Tony quickly concluded that Pickle’s must be a stuffed dog. There was no way a child could secretly keep a real dog for five years without being discovered. That didn’t make the secret any less strange. Why couldn’t an almost five-year-old have a stuffed animal?

Tony was about to ask Peter just that when the door swung open. Peter looked at the doorway to see Mr. Toomes and Mr. Beck. “Peter, you need to get to your class. Quickly put away everything you used and then follow Mr. Beck.” Mr. Toomes commanded, and Peter was quick to obey and soon held the hand of Mr. Beck as he was led out of the room. 

-

Both Steve and Tony sat in Mr. Toomes’ office on the soft couch. “I hope you had a good visit. Was Peter well behaved?” Mr. Toomes asked. “He was delightful.” Steve gushed, “In fact, I might need to speak with my husband more about this, but I believe we are ready to adopt.” Steve looked hopefully at Tony. 

Tony was already starting to love Peter, and their visit today had been fantastic. Tony couldn’t imagine his life without the little ball of sunshine. “Yes, we are ready. We would like to bring Peter home with us as soon as possible. When can we start filling out the paperwork and getting things set up?” Tony asked. 

Mr. Toomes seemed shocked at the statements of the couple. “I do not think you well want Peter. Even though he has the classification of an undesirable, his caretaker has already placed a bid for him. How the process works here, and at most centers, is bids are made on a child. These bids can be placed until the child turns five years old. Whoever bids the highest gets the child once they reach the age of five. Peter will be turning five in one week.”

“Mr. Beck has placed a $250,000 bid on Peter. This is a ridiculous amount of money for an undesirable child. Mr. Beck decided to use all his life savings. I tried to talk him out of it because the price is more in line with a middle class desirable. If you want to spend that much money on a child, I suggest adopting a higher classification child. 

“If you are looking to spend less and you do not want to go through the auction process. I would suggest adopting a five-year-old. A few children receive zero bids before they reach the age of five. There is no auction for these children, and they are adopted for the price of $25,000. I know you also mentioned that you wanted Peter in your home as soon as possible. With a child who is already five, there is no wait. With Peter, the wait would be longer, and he is simply not worth the price.”

Tony hated this asshole, but right now, Steve and Tony needed him. “We do not want any other child. We want Peter and we are willing to pay any price. If it is okay with my husband. We would like to place a bid for 1.5 million dollars.” Tony finished and looked at Steve for his agreement. 

Steve quickly spoke, “Yes, it is definitely okay with me. We are willing to pay more. Money is not an issue or problem for us. If the bid increases, we would like you to increase our bid automatically. Within a week, we will not accept anything else but taking Peter home with us.”

Mr. Toomes sat in his chair with his mouth gaping open. Even high-class desirables didn’t sell for that much. With an offer like that, how could he possibly refuse? Mr. Toomes quickly guided the couple through the adoption process. 

-

Quentin Beck leaned against the wall outside as he watched the disgusting little gremlins play at recess. Adrian Toomes made his way outside and leaned against the wall next to Quentin. “That took you a long time. What was that about anyway? I thought you said the first meeting with them went awful. You didn’t even give them the full 15 minutes on their first visit. Why did they come back?” Quentin questioned. 

Adrian sighed. “I am sorry, Quentin. I tried to talk them out of it, but they wanted the boy, and unless you have more than 1.5 million dollars laying around, they will get him.”

Quentin instantly became angry. “Damn it, Adrian. Where am I supposed to get that kind of money? I asked you for one thing. After years of helping you, all I wanted was one favor, and you couldn’t even do that.”

“Calm down, Quentin. What can I say? I tried, but they were adamant they wanted Peter. If you ask me, they just saved you 250,000 dollars. I do not see anything special about the kid that couple did you a favor by bidding more than you.”

“I need that kid to get me out of this rotten place. I need that kid to get my old job back. I need him for the title he will give me. What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

“I don’t know Quentin. Why can’t you just adopt another child? One that is cheaper.” 

“Peter is the only child that doesn’t annoy me to death. He is the only child I have ever met that does exactly as I say, and unlike most children, he isn’t a dumbass. Damn it Adrian, one thing, that is all I wanted. You are a dick. You know that?”

“Ha, You’re one to talk.” 

-  
Peter was on the monkey bars. It was his turn to cross. The floor was lava, and Michelle had miraculously made it across. Ned wasn’t so lucky. He lay on the ground dead after falling into the pit of burning lava. 

Peter was just about to swing across when Mr. Beck grabbed him around the waist. He tucked Peter under his armpit as he began to walk inside. “Is recess over, Mr. Beck?” Ned asked, coming back from the dead. “No, Peter is in trouble. Keep playing. I will be back later.” 

Peter was shocked. What had he done? He had been nicely playing with Ned and Michelle. Peter tried to think about his past behavior, but he couldn’t think of anything that would warrant punishment. Mr. Beck was walking towards Peter’s and Ned’s room. 

Peter began to kick his legs hopelessly. He knew he definitely had not done anything to warrant a spanking. Peter looked up at Mr. Beck’s angry face. Peter forced himself to frantically speak. He tried to talk quietly, not wanting to anger his caregiver more. “Mr. Beck, Please. What did I do?”

Peter jumped when Mr. Beck quickly responded with a loud shout. “You know what you did, you wretched child.” Peter really didn’t know what he had done. Tears began to form in his eyes, but Peter tried to hold them in. 

Mr. Beck deposited Peter on the bed. “Don’t move a muscle. I will be back in a minute to punish you.” Mr. Beck yelled as he slammed the door. Peter sat petrified on the bed, waiting for his doom. 

True to his word Mr. Beck came back within a minute holding the school paddle. Peter felt sick. He had never been spanked with the paddle before. The instrument was not used to punish children at the facility, but it was used to scare them. Peter feared that was going to change today. Peter crawled to the head of the bed where the bed met the corner of the room. Peter squeezed himself into the tight space, trying to get as far as he could from Mr. Beck. 

Mr. Beck leaned over the bed, grabbing Peter’s hand and ruthlessly pulling Peter towards him. Peter soon stood in front of Mr. Beck, and his pants and underwear were pulled down. This time Mr. Beck didn’t put Peter over his lap; instead, he threw Peter over the bed. 

Peter tightly grabbed the blanket on the bed, hoping that it would give him strength. Peter barely had time to catch his breath before he heard the swish of the paddle. The room soon filled with a loud crack as the paddle met his bare bottom. 

Peter’s mouth gaped open as he silently screamed. Peter had never felt anything so intense and painful in his young life. Pain seared through his body as the harsh sting of the paddle erupted through his butt. Before Peter could process the pain further, Mr. Beck raised the paddle again, bringing it down harder. 

Peter was shocked to hear the pathetic scream that ripped through his throat. Peter’s legs kicked up, trying to shield his abused bottom from more pain, but that only angered Mr. Beck further. The paddle slammed down harder, making Peter lurch forward. 

Peter couldn’t control himself as his hands flew back to cradle his burning skin. His cries and screams were almost animalistic. The paddle sailed down towards his exposed thighs and sitting spot where Peter’s hands did not reach. Peter did not believe the pain could get any worse, but the second the paddle made impact with the sensitive area, he was proven wrong. 

Peter’s hands shot away from his butt, hoping Mr. Beck wouldn’t hit his thighs again, but Mr. Beck showed no mercy. The paddle came down twice more on his sitting spots. Peter was squirming on the bed like a fish out of water. The pain was so intense that Peter could not control his body. 

“Please. Please. I am sorry. I will be good. Please, stop.” Peter could hardly believe that was his voice. It sounded broken and heart-wrenching to his ears. Peter did not want to believe a sound so sad could come out of him. 

Mr. Beck did not listen to the begging voice as he raised the paddle high and let it smack the small bottom in front of him. The harsh blow forced Peter on his tippy toes. The position regretfully gave Mr. Beck access to his already spanked sitting spots that Mr. Beck continued to smack entail Peter flattened his feet. 

Mr. Beck was blinded with rage as he kept raising the paddle and whacking the glowing red skin. The blows became faster and harder. Peter lost track of the smacks as he cried miserably on the bed. Peter was so wrapped up in the pain that he did not notice when it stopped. Mr. Beck had also lost count, he wasn’t sure how many whacks he had given Peter, and he did not care. 

Mr. Beck stood panting over him. Mr. Beck looked at the quivering bare butt and was surprised to see it covered in bruises. He took a few steps back from Peter, his body shaking as the anger left him. 

“You will stay in your room for the rest of the day,” Mr. Beck said as he quickly left the room. Peter lay crying on the bed for several minutes, trying to calm down. Every time he tried to stop the tears, they would revolt and flood down his face faster. Peter tentatively pulled up his underwear in pants crying louder as they scraped the bruised skin. 

Peter walked to the desk pulling out his best friend. He held Pickle tightly to him, wishing that Pickle could somehow make everything better, but Peter knew nothing could make him feel better. Nothing could make his life better. He would be sad and alone forever. The very thought made him cry louder.


End file.
